Questions For Older (50+) Bass Players

[Muddslide]

Originally Posted by Kenny Allyn

What's not to love more and better choices in basses ... and new light weight amps and cabs, best time to be a bass player is NOW!



... Still at it at 54 myself

Just want to add-- that is a great pic, and that bass is HOT!

What do you think of the DarkStar and what is the neck profile like? I've never played a Lakland. I'm afraid the neck profile would be too thin for my tastes. I tend towards a pretty standard P-bass-style nut width, but I like a well-wounded, fat C-shape to the profile, like the old "baseball bats" so many people seem to find disfavor with these days.

I like 'em chunky. I like to wrap my had around a neck and have the wood fill up the web of my thumb...really feel like I'm gripping something.

I hope this thread doesn't fade away. This is great stuff.

[wazzel]

I have a great uncle that is still giging and he is in his 60's.

[Surfinbass]

Having passed 52 earlier this year I can feel your pain. I've been playing for 38 years so you can say I still haven't learned my lesson<g>.
Lately I've had a few physical things to deal with and found my beloved Fenders aren't treating me real well for 3 hour gigs anymore( we usually do 3 60 minute sets a night).
I switched to an MTD Z4, it's got a maple neck and fingerboard, under 8 pounds, and I can get pretty close to the P bass sound I love in addition to a wider pallate of sounds than the P gets. The neck feels a lot like my P bass's A neck which is wider than a Jazz neck across the fingerboard, but narrower than a classic P bass neck front to back. And my back doesn't hurt like it did after a night of having the Fenders bouncing on my shoulder.
What might seems odd is the choice of footware had as big an influence on how I feel after a gig than my choice of bass. Wear the wrong shoes or sneakers and I'm hurting later than night or the next day, the right ones and I don't feel like I'm 90 when I wake up. Wear the wrong ones and I fell like my body is playing a bad practical joke on me.
mitch

[Jazzdogg]

Originally Posted by Jim Breece

<SNIP>Oh yeah- if an attractive young woman seems really interested in talking to you at a gig you probably remind her of daddy, or even grandpa, so don't get ideas.

+1 Friday night a VERY attractive young lady approached me on the break. I was smoking my pipe and changing the battery on my wireless when she approached. She was very complimentary about the band, wanted to know about my bass, etc. Her final comment? "My grandpa doesn't even play a musical instrument - you guys are great!"

[Shane Carter]

You really should try every kind you can before you buy, ideally with the amp you plan to use.

I really enjoy my American Deluxe Jazz. It's light weight and can really produce a wide range of tone with the active pickups. Zero hum. It has a slightly smaller body, very comfortable. Affordable and available used.